Thursday, January 26,
2006
Vibe Coffee House, Cedar Falls
A Book Release Reading
Featuring: Mike Palacek
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FINAL THURSDAY READING SERIES |
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Thursday, January 26,
2006
A Book Release Reading |
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Before the reading, join the Cedar Valley’s longest running creative writing open mic. Signup for the open mic begins @ 7 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. Limited slots are available, so readers are encouraged to sign up early and read your best five minutes of poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Singer-songwriters are also welcome. The open mic begins at 7:30 p.m. The featured reader takes the stage between 8:00 and 8:30 (depending on how many open mic readers there are). After the reading, there will be a brief question and answer session. The featured reader for January’s Final Thursday Reading Series is Mike Palacek, who will be reading from his new novel, Looking for Bigfoot (Howling Dog Press), named one of the Best Books of 2005 by January Magazine. Looking for Bigfoot is a political thriller that takes on the status quo. Historian Howard Zinn writes that Palacek “looks beyond the false gods of our time, the ruthless political leaders, the timid intellectuals, the stars of People magazine, and tells the story of the bravest people in America.” Palacek is an author, activist, and the 2000 Democratic nominee for the U. S. Congress from Iowa’s Fifth District. |
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Read Work by Past Featured Readers
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from Looking for Bigfoot by Mike Palacek Dear Cherry, We thought we lived in the best county in the world and it turned out to be the worst. Marine generals talking about how fun it is to kill. Americans abusing Iraqi citizens in every form imaginable. Hummer. A sex term adopted by the military, turned into a vehicle on our streets and a commercial on our TVs. Little kids talking about wanting to get a hummer. All in the name of gool ol’ American patriotism and gettin’ behind the team. Does anyone at Rotary realize that we killed more Native Americans in our seizure of the American landscape than the six million killed by Hitler in the death camps? If they did realize, would it matter? Would it make any difference? Would we act differently? Or do these things happen just because we are what we are? And finding them out will not make a whit of differerence — these atrocities will continue to crop up like dandelions on a green American lawn in Dubuque. The Soviet Union once served as our Bogeyman. Then it was the criminal and drugs. Now it is the terrorist. You know, love, when I was in seminary I prayed and prayed in my dark room at night for God to let me live life on the edge, to really, really serve him. I would even be a celebrated hero if he needed me to be. This life we have out here on the prairie is on the edge all right. I’ve finally figured it out. God does have a sense of humor. Out here where it looks as if nothing is happening is where it’s most difficult of all. Good German equals Good American. It’s time to start setting our unthinkable thoughts loose in the town square. They yearn to fly. Best, Jack
Now Available from Final Thursday Press
Kyrie Poetry by Jonathan Stull
Ghost Wars Poetry by Vince Gotera ***Winner of the 2004 Global Filipino Literary Award for Poetry***
Laugh. Damnit. Poetry by Ahkos
Bad Men Microfiction by Jim O'Loughlin
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| updated January 18, 2005 by Jim O'Loughlin |
Vibe
is located at 909 W. 23rd St. in Cedar Falls on the second floor of
Bought again Books.